A briefing on the National Enquirer’s story about Ted Cruz’s “5 Mistresses”

Summary: Campaign 2016 takes yet another surprising turn with the National Enquirer’s allegations about Ted Cruz’s five mistresses. This post summarizes what little we know. It ends with a reminder about a similar incident in our past. In 2007 the Enquirer made accusations about a candidate’s infidelity, political experts sneered, candidate John Edwards indignantly denied — and the Enquirer slowly tightened the noose, drip by drip, issue after issue.

Marital affairs are irrelevant. Hypocrisy in our leaders is relevant.

“The romps that could destroy his presidential campaign!”
By J.R. Taylor in the 23 March 2016 National Enquirer.

Note this carefully written story. It does not claim that the paper has evidence. The weasel wording might not save them from ruinous damages if Cruz sues and wins.

“Presidential candidate Ted Cruz is trying to survive an explosive ‘dirt file’ on the finger-wagging conservative senator! And the new issue of The National ENQUIRER — on newsstands now — reveals how the reports say the staunch Republican is hiding FIVE different mistresses!

“’Private detectives are digging into at least five affairs Ted Cruz supposedly had,’ claimed a Washington insider. ‘The leaked details are an attempt to destroy what’s left of his White House campaign!'”

“The buzz focuses on Cruz and Tea Party activist Katrina Pierson. Pierson is a former consultant for Cruz’s United States Senate campaign and is now the national spokeswoman for businessman Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, which makes this a particularly uncomfortable situation.”

History of the Rumors

“A half-dozen GOPoperatives and media figures tell The Daily Beast that Cruz’s opponents have been pushing charges of adultery for at least six months now—and that allies of former GOP presidential hopeful Marco Rubio were involved in spreading the smears.

“For months and months, anti-Cruz operatives have pitched a variety of #CruzSexScandal stories to a host of prominent national publications, according to Republican operatives and media figures. The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg News, Politico, and ABC News—reporters at all those outlets heard some version of the Cruz-is-cheating story. None of them decided to run with rumors.”

Update: On March 15 Anonymous posted a video threatening to expose Cruz

”Have you heard of the expression “candy wrappers”? Do you recall visiting prostitutes? Mr. Cruz, we are now demanding you exit this race immediately or Anonymous will release all of the information that we have found. You’re so called underground acts that you think were done in the dark, will be brought out for all the public to see. It will be sent to every media outlet to publicize your disgusting behavior. We assure you it will go viral on every social media platforms in a matter of minutes.”

Cruz, Trump, and Roger Stone reply

(1) Ted Cruz gave a powerful reply at a press conference on Friday, a ten minute campaign speech attacking Donald Trump on all fronts.

“… the National Enquirer published a story that quoted one source on the record, Roger Stone, Donald Trump’s chief political adviser. Let me be clear, this National Enquirer story is garbage. It is complete and utter lies, it is a tabloid smear. It is a smear that has come from Donald Trump and his henchmen. It is attacking my family. And what is striking is Donald’s henchman’s Roger Stone had for months been foreshadowing that this attack was coming.”

“I have no idea whether or not the cover story about Ted Cruz in this week’s issue of the National Enquirer is true or not, but I had absolutely nothing to do with it, did not know about it, and have not, as yet, read it. …”

(3) In an interview with Frank Morano on AM970 The Answer Roger Stone replied to the allegations that he masterminded this rumor. Money line: “The private detectives who are specifically cited in the article… were actually working for and paid by Marco Rubio. … They got paid once when they did the original work for Marco Rubio, and they got paid again when they on their own went ahead and sold it to the National Enquirer. ”

A reminder, before dismissing the National Enquirer

On 25 November 2009 the National Enquirer published a story alleging that Tiger Woods was having an affair with New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel. Both denied it. On December 2 Woods admitted the affair.

More relevant to today’s story, on 22 October 2007 the National Enquirer ran a story about presidential candidate John Edwards’ mistress and child. He denied it. The Enquirer slowly released details over the following months, eventually concluding with incontrovertible evidence that destroyed Edwards’ candidacy.

Conclusions

We have no reliable information as yet. Cruz reliance on his Christian beliefs has been a strength, but strengths can quickly become weaknesses.

Campaign 2016 is one of the most important ideological contests in modern US history. Yet the candidates, journalists, and political gurus prefer to focus on the trivia of sound bites, personalities, and the “horse race” — least Americans realize what’s at stake — and that they have meaningful choices. Sanders offers resurgent progressivism; Trump offers resurgent populism Both pose powerful challenges to our ruling elites.

6 thoughts on “A briefing on the National Enquirer’s story about Ted Cruz’s “5 Mistresses””

Roger Stone is a political sleaze-master going all the way back to Nixon. He’s been running dirty tricks like this against Democratic and Republican opponents alike of his various paymasters over the years.

That’s an important point! The question is not who pushed the rumor (what difference does it make?), but it’s truth.

So imo more useful is to consider the exposure to libel of the Natl Enq — and what level of evidence their corporate attorneys would have required before approving it. As Gawker learned, mistakes can be costly.

I think that it demeans Fabius Maximus to have even carried this story. I do not read FM to hear about sleaze. Enough of that bs comes through the rest of the media and you sir should never have acknowledged it’s existence.

I tried scrolling thru @amandacarpenter and saw only chaff (not a surprise for a CNN journalist). Idle contentless bickering (big hat, no cattle). What does she say that’s damning? I could easily have missed it.